Disclaimer: Joss owns the characters of BTVS. I am not making any money off of this fic. Please don't sue me. Beta'd by AtheneHahn

A/N: Written in answer to Redwolf50's Challenge 109. Challenge details at the end.

Paradox

by Jackofspikes


Chapter 38

Joan's eyes widened as she felt the strong beating of his heart under her hand. Her smile lit up the room.

William couldn't remember a time when he had seen his girl smile like that. He felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. She was smiling because of him. He reached for her and hugged her tightly to him. They would do this, change everything for the better. Together there was nothing they couldn't achieve.

"What is it?" Joyce asked tremulously, terrified that something bad was happening to one of her boys.

William smiled shyly at the concerned mother. "Got me a heartbeat, mum."

Joyce and Dawn rushed over to William and joined Joan in their family hug.

"I am so proud of you," Joyce said, smiling through the tears in her eyes.

"I have the coolest best friend in the whole world," Dawn whispered in his ear.

William grinned at the teen before kissing her on the forehead and ushering her and her mother back to their seats. Turning to face the brunette in the cage, William crossed his arms.

Even though his eyes never left Angel's, William spoke to the group in general. "By my count, we've addressed the matter of his soul and warned him about Whistler. If he chooses to keep working for the bastard, that's his problem. He steps out of line and he becomes ours. We tend to solve our problems," he announced with cutting finality. There was no doubt about his message to Angel. If the brunette vampire stepped out of line he would be dusted.

"That takes us up to the last little problem- Drusilla. We want to give her peace, but we're not sure how your demon will react to that; what with you having so little control and all," William coldly informed the elder vampire then stood silently waiting for his response.

Spike moved back to the table. He was not concerned with Angel escaping now. He knew the bastard would stick around for the Dru conversation. He didn't even think about what he was doing, he just automatically walked over to Buffy's seat, picked her up, and sat down with her on his lap, his arms draped loosely around her waist.

Buffy seemed unconcerned by his actions, as she also acted automatically. She placed her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

Giles had to stop himself from giggling like a school boy at the look on Angel's face. His forbearance was sorely tested when Xander did not find it necessary to hold onto the same restraints.

Angel tried to get his mind to take in the two things at once. They wanted him to dust Drusilla, and Buffy- his Buffy- was sitting on Spike's lap and kissing his cheek. It was too much. His demon was screaming. He was losing control. This was not the way it was meant to be. Drusilla belonged to his demon and Buffy was his.

"MINE," he roared in game face as he began to leap towards the girl.

He was grabbed from behind and unceremoniously dumped on his face back in the cage. The door was closed and locked before he could see who had dared to manhandle him. As he scrambled to his feet and turned, he discovered an elf with arms crossed and a smug smile.

"There's an empty spot over my mantle place just begging to be filled," the beautiful elf happily informed him.

Angel shuddered at the thought.

"What was all that about, with the bumpies and the grrr and the mine and the trying to attack?" Buffy demanded indignantly; still safely ensconced on Spike's lap.

Spike softly chuckled at her butchering of the English language. She was a bloody joy to behold. He had no intention of letting this one get away. He was beginning to enjoy the feeling of falling. It looked like it was going to be one hell of a ride.

Angel reined his demon back in. He couldn't believe he'd made such a critical error. He needed to do some serious damage control. If he was ever going to save Buffy from what ever crazy spell she was under, he had to play it smart. Lifting his sad brown eyes to meet her green ones, he began his game. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I don't know what happened. I think it's a spell or something. But you don't have to worry about Drusilla. I'll take care of her," he informed her sincerely.

"Would that be like you 'took care' of the Anointed One, Angel?" Giles spoke with deceptive mildness. He knew exactly what the pillock was trying to accomplish and he had no intention of allowing it to happen.

"What do you mean, Giles?" Angel asked innocently, wondering how much the watcher knew.

"You told us that you dusted him," Giles reminded him, his tone mildly curious.

"I said I was responsible," Angel hedged.

"Giles asked you straight out, blood breath. He asked if you'd dusted the little creep and you said yes." Xander pushed a little harder, he had no idea why this was important, but if Giles thought it was then it must be.

Angel glared at the hated teen. "Don't call me 'blood breath', I didn't hear you call Spike anything like that," Angel complained with a whine.

"Ah, but I like him," Xander mocked the sulking vampire. "Now answer Giles' question."

Angel mutinously refused to answer. Crossing his arms, he glared at everyone as if daring them to push him.

"Giles, what's going on? Angel said he dusted the creepy little vamp. What am I missing?" Buffy asked, confused by the direction of the conversation.

Angel glared at the watcher, daring him to speak. It would be just a watcher's word against a champion. He had nothing to worry about.

"The truth," Giles raised an eyebrow at the posturing vampire as he responded to his Slayer. "William slayed the anointed one. Joan was with him and between them they removed all but three of the vampires- Drusilla and two others that pledged allegiance to William and have been taking care of Drusilla on his orders. All three of them have been partaking of blood from the butchers since William's intervention."

Buffy said nothing. She wasn't overly surprised, Angel had always been secretive in a sneaky stalker-ish way. She was more surprised that it had taken her this long to really see him. Nodding her head to acknowledge her watcher, she moved things back to the subject they had been dancing around all night. "So, Dru. Are we dusting her or what?"

Angel tried to plead his case to the small blond killer of his kind. "Buffy, please, don't ask me to do this. She's my childe."

"Would that be the childe that you dumped as soon as you were cursed? The childe that you abandoned after making sure that she was totally dependent on you? The childe that I've bloody well taken care of for the last hundred years? The childe that is ill and possibly dying from garlic poisoning? Would that be the childe that you're suddenly so concerned about, Peaches?" William snarled, absolutely disgusted at the manipulative vampire.

"End of discussion, she deserves peace. William or Spike have both been her major caretakers for the last hundred years, they both think she deserves an end to her suffering. Everyone in agreement raise your hands now," Joan's Slayer had taken control.

She looked around the room, only Angel did not have his hand raised.

~*~*~

Drusilla sat, chained to the bed in her room at the factory. Her two caregivers were in their own room. She could hear them as they played. There was no one for her to play with anymore. Naughty little pixies with their wings fluttering all around her, telling her secrets she didn't want to know. They spoke to her of so many things, showed her pictures of more. "Pairs. Pairs, doubles, and troubles all around. The light burns so bright in them all. Oh, how it burns. Princess will be going home soon. No more cakes, no more tea. Daddy won't be able to save his princess this time."
~TBC~